


America’s Greatest Superhero (Sponsored by Buzzfeed)

by allp_wips



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-05-14 11:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19272292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allp_wips/pseuds/allp_wips
Summary: Astra really wants Kara to win an online poll about who America’s greatest superhero is. Alex gets reluctantly roped along into her shenanigans.





	America’s Greatest Superhero (Sponsored by Buzzfeed)

Alex has become used to Astra coming up with ridiculous ideas, over her years of working with the woman at the DEO. None of these ideas have yet reached the take-over-the-world-with-a-mind-control-program levels of stupid that had been Alex’s initial introduction to Astra’s way of problem-solving, but they come damn close sometimes. 

 

Like this time.

 

“Let me get this straight,” she says, glaring at Astra over her kitchen table. “There’s some stupid online poll that some stupid newspaper is hosting about who America’s favorite superhero is, and you want me to make sure Kara wins it?”

 

She should have known something was up when Astra had offered to cook for her that night. Astra knows how much Alex likes her cooking; she’s probably made the food just to keep Alex’s mouth shut while she runs through her plan.

 

On the other hand, Astra cooks for her pretty often these days, so Alex isn’t really to blame for not having known something was up, this time.

 

“No, I need your help in ensuring that Kara wins it,” Astra corrects her, now. “I have a plan already. I simply need you to take part in it.”

 

“It’s just an online poll,” Alex says. “Why do you even care? What difference is it going to make?”

 

“More than you think,” Astra insists. “You fail to understand the sway public opinion has on policy changes. Even if President Marsdin has been reelected to her position, Supergirl’s safety - and the safety of any vigilante in National City - cannot rise and fall on the whim of politicians. Strengthening the public’s perception of superheroes, and Kara in particular, will inoculate against that.”

 

“It’s a fucking Buzzfeed poll,” Alex says. “Buzzfeed!”

 

"It's still important."

Alex rolls her eyes, and resists the urge to rest her head in her arms. "Have you even asked Kara about this? How does she feel about your plan?"

 

“My niece doesn’t know her own worth,” Astra says. “She would say something self-effacing about how she doesn’t want to win, and take herself out of the running. We cannot breathe a word about this to her. This stays between you and me.”

 

Alex should refuse. It's a stupid idea, and she has better things to do. 

 

Except, she doesn't at the moment, really. Things are pretty quiet in National City these days, with the Agents of Liberty rounded up and the Kaznian issue dealt with. 

 

And the truth is, no matter how stupid Astra's plans are, she always seems to end up going along with them. 

 

\--

“You copy the link, and then paste it into your browser in an incognito tab,” Astra teaches her patiently, the next day. “Then you vote. After you vote, you close the tab, open another tab, and repeat the procedure. We will do this for an hour every day, until the voting period ends, in order to ensure that Kara maintains a solid lead on her competition.”

 

“This is ridiculous,” Alex grumbles, while doing as instructed. “You do realize that I’m the director of the DEO, and that you’re having me waste an hour of my time voting on a poll that some eleven-year old probably set up?”

 

“This is a crucial strategy in furthering the cause of Supergirl,” Astra says sternly. “If I can learn to operate your primitive Earth technology for an hour each day, you can too.”

 

“Ugh.” Alex groans. “Shut up. The only thing that could make this worse is you gloating about your Kryptonian tech.”

 

She keeps voting as Astra had instructed, though, shaking up the monotonous boredom of the procedure by peppering in a few votes for Nia in the adjacent Best Rookie Superhero poll.

 

“How come you’re so confident that the two of us voting for an hour each day is somehow going to make this happen for Kara?” she asks, as she closes a tab and opens another one for the fiftieth time.

 

“Because, you are not the only I have convinced to join this plan,” Astra says. “Agent Vasquez agreed readily. So has Agent Dox, who has somehow procured five different phones for himself to enter the polls with.” Then, she frowns. “Director Lane is the only one who didn’t agree to my suggestion, in fact, out of everyone I approached. She said she was too busy with something else, when I flew to the desert base to ask her.”

 

“Hold up,” Alex asks. “You’ve got my best agents wasting their time on this?”

 

“It’s only for an hour each day, Alex.” Astra looks reproving. “You know as well as I do that they have time to spare, when monitoring the satellites.”

 

“Who else?” Alex asks, hand on her forehead. “Do I even want to know who else?”

 

“Pamela in HR,” Astra says. “Your mother. That wonderful man who run the delicious food truck by the dockside.”

 

“The taco guy?” Alex stares at her, aghast. “You taught the taco truck guy how to vote on a Buzzfeed poll?”

 

“Every vote counts,” Astra says, with such a sombre expression on her face that she might as well be talking about the presidential election. “He is quite enamored with Supergirl, after she appeared at his daughter’s graduation ceremony. He was grateful for the chance to repay her.”

 

Alex shakes her head again, and goes back to her phone. “You Kryptonians really don’t do anything halfway.”

 

\---

 

Despite all of Alex’s protests, the next day finds her and Astra cloistered together in Alex’s office, getting in their hour of voting for the day. Same thing the day after that, and so on, until the first week of voting passes, with Kara officially in the lead.

 

“She’s only at 57 percent,” Astra states tersely, as they huddle together again on Monday. “She was at 61% yesterday. The Blur is fast overtaking her.”

 

“The Flash,” Alex corrects her. “You’ve been spending too much time with Cat Grant.”

 

She can’t help but share Astra’s competitive urge, though, now that she’s invested so much effort into voting that there are actual blisters on her thumb from the repetitive activity. Kara might go on and on about what a nice guy Barry Allen is, but-

 

"There is no way my little sister is going to lose to some two-bit nobody from Central City,” Alex mutters, feverishly bringing up a new tab and typing in the poll address again.

 

They're both so engrossed in the voting, that even Astra jumps when the office door bangs open, and Kara breezes in.

 

“Alex, I heard you missed lunch so I got you a burger!” she calls out, before freezing at the sight of the two of them huddled together on top of Alex’s desk. "Aunt Astra? What are you doing here?"

 

"I-" To Alex’s shock, Astra seems to be at a loss for words, before a shaky composure takes over her face. "Nothing, Little One. Alex and I were just discussing... my patrol schedule.”

 

She's holding on to the incriminating phone with both hands, gripping it so hard that Alex thinks she might be trying to crush it out of existence.

 

'Ok." Kara doesn't seem to be buying it, looking between the two of them with some suspicion. "You guys have been doing this a lot in the past week. What's so hard about scheduling patrols that you have to discuss it all the time?"

 

"Um..." Alex clears her throat, praying for inspiration to strike. "Because of... the presidential visit next month! We have to make sure no one is planning anything for that."

 

"Right." Kara's eyes are still narrowed, when she passes Alex the bag of food. "Ok, well, let me know if you need help.”

 

"Absolutely,” Alex says, hearing Astra echo the sentiment from beside her. "Well, off you go."

 

Kara leaves after another look askance at them, leaving Astra and Alex alone to stare at each other.

 

"We should just tell her," Alex says.

 

She doesn’t like keeping things from her sister, not even something as inconsequential as a popularity poll.

 

"Don't be ridiculous," Astra says. "I told you, she wouldn't understand."

 

Alex sighs, and pulls out her phone again, continuing to vote because their hour isn't over yet. "I don't know how you persuade me into this, every time."

 

\---

 

“Are you sleeping with my aunt?”

 

Alex chokes on her sandwich when Kara lobs that question at her, while they’re grabbing an impromptu lunch in between briefings at the DEO cafeteria.

 

"What?"

 

"Are you sleeping with Astra?” Kara repeats patiently. “Only, you guys have been acting really weird recently.”

 

Alex splutters. “I’m not sleeping with Astra!”

 

Kara’s eyes narrow. “Then why do you keep holing up with her everywhere, and running away when I show up?”

 

“We aren’t running away,” Alex says. “That’s not- we’re just-”

 

“I knew it!” Kara says. “I heard you two talking about your relationship, after I left your office on Monday.”

 

Alex blanches. “What?”

 

“You were telling Astra that you should tell me about it,” Kara says. “And she said that I wouldn’t understand. Alex, do you really think I’m that heartless? If you and Astra really like each other, I’m not going to stand in your way, even if it’s a little weird for me.”

 

“No!” Alex looks around, praying that Astra isn’t nearby, before realizing with horror that Kryptonian hearing would allow the woman to hear all of this, no matter where in the world she is. “Keep your voice down! There is nothing going on between me and Astra.”

 

Something in the desperation in her voice must have gotten through to Kara, because she’s frowning now, unsure of her own earlier words. “Then, why are you both acting so weird?”

 

“Um.” Alex scrubs her face, but inspiration doesn’t strike, no matter how she stalls. “It’s about something else, ok? I can’t tell you right now what it is, but you are barking so,  _ so _ far up the wrong tree.”

 

“Fine,” Kara says. “So, you don’t have feelings for Astra?”

 

That brings Alex up short.

 

“Me? Have feelings for Astra?” Her voice comes out unusually high. “No, I don’t have - of  _ course _ not - maybe  _ you  _ have feelings for Astra!”

 

Her brain screeches to a halt, as she hears herself.

 

“Okaaay,” Kara says. “That is definitely not the reply I was expecting to hear, in any eventuality.”

 

“There’s nothing,” Alex says, her voice hoarse. “ _ Nothing _ , ok?”

 

“Alright, alright, I believe you,” Kara says. She gets up, slinging her bag across her torso. “I have to get back to Catco. Just... tell me if there’s anything. I’m here for you, ok?” 

 

Alex nods mutely, still staring down at the table, and not trusting herself to speak further, while her sister exits the cafeteria.

 

\---

 

Of course she doesn’t have feelings for Astra. That’s ridiculous. Just because they work well together, and regularly choose each other as partners while out on the field, doesn’t mean anything. They’re just two people who happen to get along well professionally, and who also have a personal connection as Kara’s shared family.

 

Sure, she and Astra have come to know each other rather well, over the years since Astra finally decided to work with the DEO, rather than against them.

 

Sure, Astra is a wild card who’s always coming up with some stupid shenanigan or other that constantly brightens up Alex’s otherwise depressing work at the DEO.

 

Sure, Astra is the only one that Alex allows to join in on her daily morning run, because she knows how to shut up and keep pace and just let Alex listen to her music.

 

Sure, they sometimes spend evenings together, too, but that’s because there are a lot of places in the city that they both like going to. It’d be downright wasteful to go alone.

 

And yes, sometimes they spend evenings together in her apartment even when they have nowhere to go, but that’s just because Astra is interesting to talk to, and even when they’re not talking, Alex feels comfortable just being around her, it’s almost like being by herself-

 

“Oh." Alex says out loud, to the wall of her office.

 

And then, an even more terrifying realization.

 

So what if she likes Astra? Astra has absolutely no reason to like her back.

 

\---

 

"SHE WON!"

 

Agent Vasquez's exultant yell, resounding around the DEO headquarters on a slow Friday morning, sends a flurry of agents scrambling to her terminal, to stare at the screen that the agent is excitedly pointing at.

 

"She won! Supergirl won the poll!"

 

Alex makes her way toward the group in a leisurely manner, knowing exactly what Vasquez is referring to, but unwilling to betray any happiness over the outcome in front of her subordinates, no matter how hard she might have tried to ensure Kara’s win in private.

 

"What is it?" Supergirl rushes into the building, as the chattering of the agents intensifies. “I heard someone screaming. What's wrong?”

 

She stares, confused, at the sight of them all gathered around Vasquez’s desk.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

"You won," Vasquez tells her. "You're America's Greatest Superhero, according to Buzzfeed."

 

"What?" Kara colours up. "That stupid poll? I didn't... I wasn't even-"

 

"Oh, stop being modest.” Alex holds her by the shoulder, and her sister flushes even redder with embarrassment, as the agents cheer. "You know you had this one in the bag."

 

Alex looks around at the crowd of agents gathered around them, figuring that she can let her guard down for one day, after everything that her crew has been through over the past harrowing year. 

 

“I know you’re all hardworking government employees who definitely weren’t glued to your terminal waiting on those results all morning,” she announces, looking around at them all. “So, we’re going to have a pizza party in the cafeteria today, my treat. Let Pam know your topping preferences, and if anybody orders pineapple on their pizza, they can hand in their resignation to her while they’re at it.”

 

The agents cheer even louder at that. Over the jubilant crowd, Alex meets Astra’s gaze. Astra smiles at her, and the expression on her face is fond and warm. Alex feels her face flush, and she turns her attention back to Vasquez’s computer, mostly to avoid that addictive gaze.

 

Kara, meanwhile, is reading avidly through the rest of the results, cheering every time she recognizes a name.

 

“Nia got Best Rookie Superhero!” she announces, to the sound of another raucous cheer going around the work area. “And Cisco got Best Dressed, and Laurel got Best Comeback and-”

 

Her voice trails off, eyes widening in horror.

  
  


"What?" Alex asks, peering over her shoulder.

 

“America’s Sexiest Villain,” Kara reads out, looking like she wants to crawl into a hole and never come back out. “Winner by write-in, General Astra In-Ze.”

 

Astra’s face is a study in shock and mortification, when Alex and the rest of the group turns to her. Where Kara had looked ready to crawl into a hole, the general looks ready to jump straight out of the window, even if her Kryptonian body weren’t capable of surviving the fifty foot drop.

 

“How?” she asks, eventually.

 

“Looks like you won by a landslide write-in campaign,” Lucy Lane says, sauntering over. “You beat out both Lex Luthor and Catwoman.”

 

“When did you get here?” Alex asks, rounding on her. “You’re supposed to be manning the desert base.”

 

"Alura flew me over, as soon as we got word that the results were out." Lucy winks at their surprised faces, and wiggles her own phone in the air. "Aren't you all going to thank me for my hard work?"

 

"Your hard work?" Alex echoes.

 

"Let's just say I can be very persuasive, when it comes to turning the tide of public opinion, and that I had a score to settle against Lex, after what he did to my sister," Lucy says. "You're welcome, general." 

 

Astra is staring at her, seemingly in shock, when Alex turns to Lucy and explodes.

 

“You can’t do that!” she says. “Astra isn’t- she’s never wanted the spotlight! You can’t just go and expose her!”

 

“Oh, I can’t?” Lucy turns to her. “Why can’t I, Alex? Why does it bother you so much?”

 

Alex flushes, absolutely refusing to look to her side, where Astra lingers. “It doesn’t. I just meant it on general principle.”

 

“Since when did you start caring about general principle?” Lucy asks idly, before her keen stare travels to Astra. “Do you have a problem with it, general?”

 

Astra waits a while before answering, and her voice still sounds strained when she does. 

 

“Director Lane, stop teasing your colleague. I do not mind what you did, but I understand Alexandra’s point of view.”

 

"Uh-huh," Lucy says, her mouth tilting up into a teasing smile. "Well, don’t let me interrupt your understanding of each other. In fact, if you don’t mind, I've got my own girlfriend that I need to go understand right now."

 

She strolls away through the throng of excited agents, leaving Alex and Astra at the periphery, stealing glances at each other, both red-faced and full of uncertainty.

 

\---

 

When Astra visits Alex again that evening, as is her custom on Fridays, Alex is sitting cross-legged on her sofa, already waiting for her.

 

"I’ve brought groceries," Astra says, as she flies in. "I saw a recipe on your food channel that I'd like to try. We can cook up a celebration."

 

She seems to sense Alex's tense mood, because she puts the bag of produce on the coffee table in front of her, instead of proceeding to the kitchen like she usually would.

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

"No," Alex says, but stalls the other woman when she continues on her path. "Sit down, Astra. I'm not some child that you have to make dinner for."

 

Astra turns back.

 

"I cook for you because I wish to," she says slowly. "Not because I consider you childish, Alex."

 

Alex stares down at the coffee table, fighting the urge to the fiddle with her glass (water this time, just water, as it has been for a while now), if only to have something to be distracted by.

 

"I have to talk to you about something," she says, her voice small. "I've tried to pretend it isn't there, but it's affecting our relationship at work, and I think it's better to have it out than pretend it doesn’t exist."

 

When she looks up, Astra looks ready to run, like some skittish rabbit. Alex has rarely seen her in such an apprehensive state. She deflates, but figures it's better to forge ahead than turn back now.

 

"Please don’t interrupt me when I say this," she begins. "I need to get it all out because I've been holding it in for way too long, longer than I even realized, and I feel like it's going to burst out of my chest, if I don’t tell someone soon."

 

Astra's eyes are wide with shock, as something seems to dawn on her, even before Alex has confessed. "What do you mean?"

 

"I like you," Alex lets out in a rush. "No, it's more than that. I have feelings for you, Astra. Strong ones. And I know you have no reason to feel the same way about me, especially after the stabbing and everything, but -"

 

"Alex, that isn't-"

 

"It isn't what you expected, I know," Alex says. "And I'm technically your superior now, seeing as you basically work for the DEO, so I  _ really  _ shouldn't be bringing this up, but I feel it all time inside me, and I’m afraid I’ll burst like a dam, if I don't say something-”

 

"Alex-"

 

"And don’t you dare make some pitying comment," Alex continues fiercely. "I will kick your ass so hard in the kryptonite training room, if you do."

 

"Alex-"

 

"I know I should be able to let it go, and just be happy that we're even friends," she says. "But, the thought that's there's someone else out there for you just kills me."

 

"Alex, listen to me!" Astra shouts.

 

Alex looks up, her confession derailed. "What?"

 

"There isn't," Astra voice is strangled.

 

Alex opens her mouth, then shuts it again.

 

"What?" she repeats, some moments later, like a toy stuck on the same recording.

 

"There isn't anyone else." Astra says, walking closer and kneeling on the floor across from Alex, so that she has to look up at her. "There has never been anyone else, Alex. How could there be, when you're all I've ever been able to see?"

 

Alex stares at her, before swallowing. "Oh."

 

"Did you mean it?" Astra asks "You truly have feelings for me?"

 

Alex nods, mute. 

 

Astra kisses her. It's not fireworks, or butterflies in her belly, or anything like that. It's just the heady feeling of coming home, to the only person she evers wants to come home to. When Astra's mouth moves against hers, Alex feels her worries fall away, until there's only the feel of Astra against her, guarding her from everything else.

 

When they break the kiss, she refuses to let Astra pull away, instead bringing their foreheads together, so that they're staring at each other.

 

“We're idiots,” she says. “We could’ve been doing this so much sooner.”

 

Astra smiles. “But, then I wouldn't have gotten to hear such a confession from you.”

 

Alex snorts, steals another quick kiss from her lips.

 

"Mmm,” she breathes against her mouth, "I have to say, I don’t know about America but, you're definitely the sexiest supervillain I’ve ever kissed."

 

Astra pulls back, looking affronted.

 

“How many other supervillains have you kissed?”

 

Alex smiles and pulls her back in, smothering her nascent complaint with another kiss, one that Astra gladly returns.

 

\---

**Author's Note:**

> I loathe those fandom polls that come around every March Madness and clog up my dash, but at least I was inspired to write this out of that irritation.


End file.
